Acts 20:34

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
You yourselves know that I worked with my own hands to support myself and those who are with me.

King James Version (1611)
Yea, you your selues know, that these handes haue ministred vnto my necessities, and to them that were with me.

King James Version
Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.

English Standard Version
You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me.

New American Standard Bible
"You yourselves know that these hands served my own needs and the men who were with me.

New Century Version
You know I always worked to take care of my own needs and the needs of those who were with me.

Amplified Bible
"You know personally that these hands ministered to my own needs [working in manual labor] and to [those of] the people who were with me.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me.

Legacy Standard Bible
You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to those who were with me.

Berean Standard Bible
You yourselves know that these hands of mine have ministered to my own needs and those of my companions.

Contemporary English Version
You know how I have worked with my own hands to make a living for myself and my friends.

Complete Jewish Bible
You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided not only for my own needs, but for the needs of my co-workers as well.

Darby Translation
Yourselves know that these hands have ministered to my wants, and to those who were with me.

Easy-to-Read Version
You know that I always worked to take care of my own needs and the needs of the people who were with me.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Yea, ye knowe, that these handes haue ministred vnto my necessities, and to them that were with me.

George Lamsa Translation
Indeed you yourselves know, that my own hands have provided for my needs and for those who have been with me.

Good News Translation
You yourselves know that I have worked with these hands of mine to provide everything that my companions and I have needed.

Lexham English Bible
You yourselves know that these hands served to meet my needs and the needs of those who were with me.

Literal Translation
But you yourselves know that these hands ministered to my needs, and to those who were with me.

American Standard Version
Ye yourselves know that these hands ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.

Bible in Basic English
You yourselves have seen that with these hands I got what was necessary for me and those who were with me.

Hebrew Names Version
You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities, and to those who were with me.

International Standard Version
You yourselves know that I worked with my own hands to support myself and those who were with me.Acts 18:3; 1 Corinthians 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:8;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
and you know to the necessity of myself, and of those who are with me, these hands have ministered.

Murdock Translation
And ye yourselves, know, that these hands ministered to my wants, and to them that were with me.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Yea, ye your selues knowe, that these handes haue ministred vnto my necessities, and to them that were with me.

English Revised Version
Ye yourselves know that these hands ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.

World English Bible
You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities, and to those who were with me.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Yea, you yourselves know, that these hands have ministred to my necessities, and to them that were with me.

Weymouth's New Testament
You yourselves know that these hands of mine have provided for my own necessities and for the people with me.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
for to tho thingis that weren nedeful to me, and to these that ben with me, these hoondis mynystriden.

Update Bible Version
You yourselves know that these hands served to my necessities, and to those that were with me.

Webster's Bible Translation
And ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered to my necessities, and to them that were with me.

New English Translation
You yourselves know that these hands of mine provided for my needs and the needs of those who were with me.

New King James Version
Yes, [fn] you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me.

New Living Translation
You know that these hands of mine have worked to supply my own needs and even the needs of those who were with me.

New Life Bible
You all know that these hands worked for what I needed and for what those with me needed.

New Revised Standard
You know for yourselves that I worked with my own hands to support myself and my companions.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
yourselves, acknowledge that, for my necessities and for those who were with me, hard wrought these hands!

Douay-Rheims Bible
You yourselves know. For such things as were needful for me and them that are with me, these hands have furnished.

Revised Standard Version
You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities, and to those who were with me.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Ye knowe well yt these hondes have ministred vnto my necessities and to them that were wt me.

Young's Literal Translation
and ye yourselves know that to my necessities, and to those who were with me, minister did these hands;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For ye youre selues knowe, that these handes haue mynistred vnto my necessities, and them that were with me.

Mace New Testament (1729)
you yourselves can witness, that what was necessary for myself and those who were with me, these very hands have supply'd.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Y'all know this because I've provided for myself and my cowboys with my own two hands.

Contextual Overview

¹⁷From Miletus he sent to Ephesus for the leaders of the congregation. When they arrived, he said, "You know that from day one of my arrival in Asia I was with you totally—laying my life on the line, serving the Master no matter what, putting up with no end of scheming by Jews who wanted to do me in. I didn't skimp or trim in any way. Every truth and encouragement that could have made a difference to you, you got. I taught you out in public and I taught you in your homes, urging Jews and Greeks alike to a radical life-change before God and an equally radical trust in our Master Jesus. ²²"But there is another urgency before me now. I feel compelled to go to Jerusalem. I'm completely in the dark about what will happen when I get there. I do know that it won't be any picnic, for the Holy Spirit has let me know repeatedly and clearly that there are hard times and imprisonment ahead. But that matters little. What matters most to me is to finish what God started: the job the Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about this incredibly extravagant generosity of God. ²⁵"And so this is good-bye. You're not going to see me again, nor I you, you whom I have gone among for so long proclaiming the news of God's inaugurated kingdom. I've done my best for you, given you my all, held back nothing of God's will for you. ²⁸ "Now it's up to you. Be on your toes—both for yourselves and your congregation of sheep. The Holy Spirit has put you in charge of these people—God's people they are—to guard and protect them. God himself thought they were worth dying for. ²⁹"I know that as soon as I'm gone, vicious wolves are going to show up and rip into this flock, men from your very own ranks twisting words so as to seduce disciples into following them instead of Jesus. So stay awake and keep up your guard. Remember those three years I kept at it with you, never letting up, pouring my heart out with you, one after another. ³² "Now I'm turning you over to God, our marvelous God whose gracious Word can make you into what he wants you to be and give you everything you could possibly need in this community of holy friends. ³³"I've never, as you so well know, had any taste for wealth or fashion. With these bare hands I took care of my own basic needs and those who worked with me. In everything I've done, I have demonstrated to you how necessary it is to work on behalf of the weak and not exploit them. You'll not likely go wrong here if you keep remembering that our Master said, ‘You're far happier giving than getting.'"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

that these: Acts 18:3, 1 Corinthians 4:12, 1 Thessalonians 2:9, 2 Thessalonians 3:8, 2 Thessalonians 3:9

Reciprocal: Numbers 16:15 - I have not 1 Kings 18:13 - what I did 2 Kings 6:2 - and take thence Job 23:11 - My foot Proverbs 31:20 - she reacheth Matthew 20:27 - whosoever John 13:29 - that John 21:3 - I go Romans 12:11 - slothful Romans 12:13 - Distributing 1 Corinthians 9:6 - have 1 Corinthians 9:15 - I have 2 Corinthians 6:4 - necessities 2 Corinthians 11:7 - in 2 Corinthians 11:27 - weariness Ephesians 4:28 - labour Philippians 4:17 - because 1 Thessalonians 2:3 - General 1 Thessalonians 2:10 - witnesses 1 Peter 5:2 - not for

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Yea, you yourselves know,.... So far was the apostle from desiring to have other men's money, or to wear their apparel, or to eat their bread, that he could appeal to these elders for the truth of it, they having been eyewitnesses of it:

that these hands have ministered unto my necessities; meaning, that he had wrought with his hands, which he then held up, or stretched out, at tent making, along with Aquila and Priscilla, at Ephesus, as he had done before at Corinth, Acts 18:2 and therewith supplied himself with necessaries for food and clothing; for though he had a power, as a minister of the Gospel, to forbear working, and to insist upon a maintenance from the churches, yet in some cases, and in some places, he chose rather to forego that, lest he should either any ways hinder the progress of the Gospel at the first preaching of it, or be burdensome to the churches, or give the false teachers any handle against him; and he not only supported himself in this way, but assisted others also:

and to them that were with me; as Luke, Timothy, and others; see Acts 20:4.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Yea, ye yourselves know - By your own acquaintance with my manner of life. In Corinth he had lived and labored with Apollos (note, Acts 18:3); and he refers elsewhere to the fact that he had supported himself, in part at least, by his own labor, 1Co 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:8. We may hence learn that it is no discredit to a minister to labor. Whatever it may be to a people who put him under a necessity to toil for his support, yet the example of Paul shows that a man should rejoice in the privilege of preaching the gospel, even if it is done while he is obliged to resort to labor for his daily bread. It is well when a minister of the gospel can make an appeal to his people like this of Paul, and say, “I have coveted no man’s gold, or silver, or apparel.” Every minister should so live that he can make this appeal to their own consciences of the sincerity and disinterestedness of his labors from the pulpit; or when called to separate from them as Paul did; or when on a dying bed. Every minister of the gospel, when be comes to lie down to die, will desire to be able to make this appeal, and to leave a solemn testimony there, that it was not for gold, or ease, or fame, that he toiled in the ministerial office. How much more influence will such a man have than he who has been worldly-minded; he who has sought to become rich; and he, the only memorials of whose life is, that he has sought “the fleece, not the flock” - that he has gained the property, not the souls of people.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 34. These hands have ministered, &c.] It was neither "sin nor discredit" for the apostle to work to maintain himself, when the circumstances of the Church were such that it could not support him. Still many eminent ministers of God are obliged to support themselves and their families, at least in part, in the same way, while indefatigably testifying the Gospel of the grace of God. Whatever it may be to the people, it is no cause of reproach to the minister, to be obliged thus to employ himself.